


love works even better than medicine

by hwallrics



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Sickfic, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, eric overworks himself, juyeon takes care of him, lapslock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-11-08 20:58:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20841917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hwallrics/pseuds/hwallrics
Summary: the first thing eric noticed when he woke up was that his head felt kind of fuzzy. normally when he had this feeling, he attributed it to lack of sleep or exhaustion, so he tried his best to ignore it.however, it didn’t go away quickly like it usually did. he was definitely,definitelysick, but he wasn’t about to make anyone worry about him.





	love works even better than medicine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [foolishangel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/foolishangel/gifts).

> dedicated to my lovely friend apollo, who is the biggest softie i know!! love you!! <3
> 
> also, a note: this fic has some mild descriptions of fainting, nausea, and other stuff related to being sick. it's not extreme at all but just a warning in case that makes you uneasy at all!
> 
> title is from moomin (i think! it was written on a screenshot)

the first thing eric noticed when he woke up was that his head felt kind of fuzzy. he wasn’t really sure how to describe it, but he figured “fuzzy” was best, as it felt like a very mild layer of tv static was enveloping his senses. normally when he had this feeling, he attributed it to lack of sleep or exhaustion, so he pushed it down and tried his best to ignore it.

however, it didn’t go away quickly like it usually did. he also noticed the slight dizziness, which was definitely more unusual. his balance was off and he found himself needing to grab onto a nearby surface to steady himself every once in a while. instinctively, he knew what was probably happening, but he was so terrified of ruining their comeback that he suppressed the thought and continued on with his day. he knew that he had to be as there as possible, because even one member being less than fully focused could drag everyone down. so, he tried to put as much effort as he normally did into his dance practice, even though he could feel that he physically couldn’t. if anyone noticed anything was off, he hoped they’d allow him to slack just a little and not question his state.

somehow, he managed to make it through the day, and by the time they got back to the dorms he was so exhausted that all he could do was collapse into his bed. he fell asleep immediately, unable to even change out of his clothes.

the next morning, he knew he had pushed himself too much. the pressure in his head was so intense he could barely think, and it took everything he had to drag himself out of bed and get ready. he was definitely,  _ definitely _ sick, but he wasn’t about to make anyone worry about him. he wasn’t even sure which medicine to take, unable to differentiate between the complicated labels in his hazy state, so he just downed several painkillers and joined the others in practice.

eric honestly didn’t know what he was doing. he knew he should just tell someone. they’d let him rest, take him to the doctor, and he’d feel better in no time. however, his judgement as well as his focus was clouded and he somehow decided that the best way to beat the sickness would be to power through it.

practice went terribly, and on some level he knew it would. there was no way he could’ve concentrated on their complex choreography in this condition. he kept messing up the moves, every single time they did a run-through, and he could tell that their dance instructor was starting to lose patience. the other members looked frustrated too, but eric was so overwhelmed with just trying to keep himself standing that he didn’t immediately feel guilty.

“maybe we should take a quick break,” sangyeon said, stopping kevin in his tracks as he went to turn the music back on.

“that’s a good idea,” their instructor chimed in, taking that chance to leave the room.

eric had been propelling himself forward solely on adrenaline the entire time, and the idea of a break actually made him panic. he decided not to sit down, knowing that if he did, he probably wouldn’t be able to get back up. he reached down to get his water, feeling a new wave of dizziness, and grabbed onto the wall for support. he righted himself just as sangyeon walked up, a clear look of concern in his eyes.

“eric, what’s going on with you today?” he said.

“it’s nothing, really. i’m just tired. i’ll work harder, i promise.”

sangyeon stared at him in silence for a minute, trying to determine if he was alright. whatever he saw must’ve convinced him, because he nodded and then walked off to gather the other members and summon the dance instructor.

eric took a large gulp of his water before joining the others in formation, trying to prepare himself mentally and physically as best he could before the music started. he managed to keep in time with the others—although he wasn’t great—until about halfway through. his mind slipped for just a moment, and he lost the rhythm, accidentally bumping into another member. the dance instructor groaned, and signalled for them to stop the music.

“eric!” the instructor shouted, startling him into momentary alertness. “you need to keep up! what’s wrong with you today, huh? don’t feel like participating?” their instructor was  _ angry _ , which none of them had ever seen before. he had really fucked up. sangyeon looked frustrated off to his side, fidgeting like he wanted to defend eric, but knew he should keep his mouth shut if he didn’t want to get yelled at too.

the room was deathly silent as the instructor stared eric down, waiting for a response or apology of some kind. eric tried his best to organize his thoughts into saying something,  _ anything _ , but he couldn’t. his brain felt muddled and nonfunctioning. his vision started to spin and fill with black spots, and just as he reached out for someone to grab on to, he was on the floor.

immediately, everyone was surrounding him. vague noises of worry and confusion that sounded very far away reached his ears. he tried to keep his eyes open, but he struggled, groaning. finally, his brain decided the effort was too much and let them slip closed. the last thing he heard before slipping into unconsciousness was sangyeon’s voice, speaking fast and tinged with panic.

+

the first thing eric heard when he woke up was also sangyeon’s voice. this time, it was quiet and whispering, but still frantic. it took a few moments for eric to be more aware that he was awake, and he tried to open his eyes. he succeeded with great effort, and he saw that he was in bed, in his room. he also realized how  _ sick _ he felt, unsettling nausea resonating throughout his whole body. an involuntary groan escaped him, and the two people in the room turned their attention over to where the noise had come from.

in no time at all, they were both by his side, and he saw that it was sangyeon and juyeon. sangyeon sat next to him on the bed, smiling and obviously trying not to act worried, while juyeon stood beside him, arms crossed. sangyeon reached up to adjust the cold, wet washcloth that was folded on eric’s forehead, which he hadn’t even noticed until then.

“hey, how are you feeling?” sangyeon said, a comforting lilt to his voice that he didn’t usually have.

“what happened?” eric mumbled. even speaking took a large amount of his energy.

“you fainted at dance practice, eric. why didn’t you tell us you were sick?” eric could tell that sangyeon was trying his best to be calm, despite how worried and almost angry he seemed under the surface. all it did was make eric’s chest twinge with guilt.

“i’m sorry,” was all he said in response, before he was suddenly wracked with violent coughs. his body pitched forward as he tried not to choke. sangyeon caught him and helped him sit upright properly, also catching the washcloth and setting it aside.

“come on, you need to take some medicine.” he reached over to a nearby table, returning with a few pills and a bottle of water in hand. eric groaned at the thought of ingesting something.

“hyung, i feel really nauseous, i don’t think i should.”

“if you don’t take it, you won’t get any better.”

eric groaned again, trying to decide what to do, before juyeon spoke up.

“eric, you need to take it, okay?” his face was twisted with concern, and seeing him like that made eric suddenly realize that this whole situation was very serious. he had  _ fainted _ , something that had never happened to him before, because he’d allowed his illness to get that far. and here he was, cooped up and worrying the others because he had been too stubborn to tell them he was sick.

wordlessly, he took the medicine. sangyeon helped him lean partially upright back against the pillows, and fixed his washcloth. the coolness of it felt really nice, and he fought to stay conscious. he was finally starting to relax and feel comfortable, so he closed his eyes and let himself be pulled back into sleep.

+

eric didn’t know how much time had passed when he woke up again. the room was much darker, but he had no idea whether or not it was even the same day. groggily, he looked around, and was surprised to see juyeon there with him, sleeping on the bed across from the one he currently occupied. there was no way their practice had finished this early; they usually went into the early hours of the morning. 

for a moment, he ignored his presence and focused on himself. he seemed to be feeling a little better, more alert than before for sure, but overall was still very ill. shakily, he removed the now-warm and damp washcloth from his forehead and set it aside, not sure what to do with it but wanting it off of his face.

eric went to grab his phone from his pocket, to check his notifications and maybe the time, and also to ask where everyone was and why juyeon was here, but instead of coming into contact with the jeans he’d been wearing before, he noticed that he had been changed into his pajamas. he couldn’t remember whether or not he was wearing them when he woke up the first time; he was too delirious to notice a detail like that. however, he still appreciated that the members had taken the time and effort to that for him, to make him more comfortable. alongside the warmth he felt at their actions was another pang of guilt. they wouldn’t have had to do  _ any _ of this if it wasn’t for his stupidity.

eric felt around on the bedside table for his phone, but didn’t find it, and it was too dark in the room to immediately see if it was anywhere else nearby. he resolved himself to go find it, figuring it would probably be fine to move around a little considering how much he had improved just over the course of what he assumed were a few hours.

the moment he stood up from the bed, he knew he had made a mistake. he wasn’t able to keep his balance at all and fell down immediately with a loud  _ thump _ to the hardwood floors. his hands landed in front of him and managed to keep him from completely hitting the ground, but the fall only made him feel sicker, nausea and dizziness returning and crashing through him like a wave. he groaned, trying not to give in to the urge to lay down right where he had fallen.

in only a few seconds, he heard a quiet call of his name, seeming confused. juyeon was by his side right away when he saw what had happened. a hand landed on his arm and pulled him up back into a standing position, and eric grabbed onto juyeon for balance when he started to sway on his feet.

“eric, did you try to get up?” juyeon said, voice laden with an accusatory tone. eric clutched onto juyeon’s arms but couldn’t meet his eyes.

“i was just looking for my phone.” his voice sounded more wrecked than he expected it to, and only then did it start to hit him that he may have been overconfident.

“you could have just asked me to bring it to you,” juyeon said. “you need to stay in bed.”

suddenly, eric swayed again and landed face forward into juyeon’s chest. this time, his hands came up to clutch at juyeon’s shirt. though it had been an accident, eric found that he didn’t mind his warmth and didn’t try to move himself away. juyeon’s arms wrapped around him and held him more securely, one hand rubbing up and down his back to calm him. it worked, and as he stood there like that with his eyes closed, he felt the nausea settle into something tolerable.

“come on, you need to lay down,” juyeon whispered after a minute or two of holding him. eric just whined and snuggled himself closer, wrapping his arms around juyeon’s waist and squeezing. he heard juyeon let out a soft chuckle from above him, before he leaned down and kissed him on the top of his head. eric was sure that his cheeks weren't warm from just the fever.

"i think you're curing me," eric mumbled.

"if you lay down, i'll join you, okay?"

just the prospect was enough for eric. he quickly disentangled himself from juyeon and stumbled back to bed, flopping down on it without precision. he wiggled himself under the covers and left room for juyeon, before turning towards him, an expectant look on his face.

"i have to get some things first, i’ll be right back."

by the time he returned, eric was growing both impatient and very tired. as soon as juyeon opened the door, eric outstretched his arms and made a grabbing motion with his hands.

juyeon smiled at the sight, but ignored him. he sat down next to eric on the bed and set a small pile of things on the table next to him. in the darkness of the room, eric couldn't really tell what they were and didn't care. he tugged on juyeon's arm and whined.

"i got your phone, if you still want it, and i got your medicine too. our manager brought it by earlier. he picked it up for you from the hospital."

"does that mean i have to take some?" eric knew he was pouting more than necessary.

"yes, you have to take it. don't do this again; you have to get better."

eric took the pill like he was told, and finally,  _ finally _ , juyeon joined him under the covers. he looked like he was unsure what to do with himself, hovering by the edge of the bed. 

"you're too far away," eric whined, tugging at juyeon's shirt. "come here." juyeon scooted over and his arms naturally came to wrap around eric, holding him close like he had before. eric buried his face into juyeon’s chest, sighing and twisting his fingers into the soft fabric of juyeon’s shirt. as he drifted off, he felt juyeon petting his hair gently. he fell asleep fast and deep, comfortable and safe in the arms of someone else. it was what he needed.

+

eric woke up alone. for a minute, he was disoriented. then, he felt a little sad when he realized that juyeon was no longer with him. he already missed juyeon’s warmth next to him and around him. while he felt better than before, he could still feel the sickness seeping through him. he fumbled for his phone on the table, and saw that it was one a.m. judging by the fact that the other bed in the room was empty, he figured the others must still not be back from practice.

the last time he tried to stand up, it didn’t work out, but he didn’t see any other choice. he was hungry, surprisingly, and he also missed juyeon. eric was already someone who loved physical affection and often sought it out from the members, but being sick only amplified it. he felt ridiculously lonely, even though juyeon probably hadn’t been gone for long.

luckily, he managed to stumble his way out of the room, resting on door frames and walls on his way into the kitchen. there, he found exactly what he was looking for. juyeon was standing over the stove, boiling a pot of something. eric shuffled up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, whining when he buried his face into juyeon’s back. he knew he was probably being annoying, and definitely clingy, but he didn’t care.

“are you hungry?” juyeon said. eric heard the signature sound of a packet of ramen noodles being ripped open, and he didn’t have to say anything because his stomach growled loudly in response. juyeon laughed, and eric could feel the vibrations of it in his chest. it was comforting.

eric only now realized that he hadn’t eaten all day—and hardly at all the day before, either. his appetite had been completely crushed by his sickness, and he hadn’t even noticed. he took his raging hunger as a sign that he was healing, and he was filled with relief at the thought. he hated being out of commission.

as juyeon cooked the ramen, eric kept clinging onto him, almost dozing where he stood. he only snapped to attention and let go when juyeon quietly told him that the food was ready, and moved to go sit on the couch with it. they ate together in comfortable silence, and then watched mindless tv until the both of them were too tired to keep their eyes open.

juyeon helped eric walk back to his room, and arm securely wrapped around his shoulder. eric took more medicine at juyeon’s insistence before they crawled back under the covers together.

“hey, eric?” juyeon said, startling eric out of his already half asleep state.

eric hummed in reply.

“next time you get sick, promise you’ll tell us?” the sound of concern filled juyeon’s voice again. it was becoming all too familiar to him because of this.

“i promise.” eric wasn’t just saying that to placate him, he really meant it. next time, he would make it easier on himself for sure, especially since it was at everyone’s insistence.

they sat in silence for another minute, before juyeon spoke up again.

“why didn’t you tell us?”

“i just… i didn’t want to worry you. i thought i would be okay.” eric was nervous about having to admit his reasoning. he knew it was stupid, even knew it at the time, but he did it anyway. he felt guilt seep through him again with the reminder that he had been the cause of so much stress and worry among their group.

“it’s our job to worry about you, eric. you’re our baby.” juyeon carded his fingers through eric’s hair, and kissed him on the top of his head again. 

eric liked to pretend he didn’t like being called a baby, but they all knew it wasn’t true, and a pleasant warmth filled his chest hearing it. sometimes, he loved being the baby of the group. the other members were always looking out for him and caring for him, and he appreciated it in a way he didn’t know how to express, or return. he could only hope that they knew how grateful he was to them.

+

when eric awoke the next morning, he didn’t even remember falling asleep to begin with. it seemed early, the light streaming through the windows still mild and casting the room with a blue tint. he felt much better than before, maybe even almost cured, and he distantly wondered how strong this medicine was. 

at first, he didn’t know why he had woken up, until he saw chanhee moving around and presumably getting ready for the day. eric smiled when he realized that juyeon was still with him, pressed up against his back and an arm tucked securely around his waist. he was still sleeping soundly, too, and eric hoped he wouldn’t wake up for a while longer. 

he decided to pretend to be asleep, so that he could savor the moment, and as he dozed, he absorbed the ambient background noise of the rest of his group waking up and moving around. he heard sounds of doors closing, water running, and muffled talking. it felt nice, being separated from the commotion and instead wrapped up in his own little bubble with juyeon.

for just a moment, the bubble was broken when someone opened the door. eric didn’t open his eyes to see who it was, but after a few seconds, the door closed again, and he heard sangyeon mumbling something in the hallway. it seemed like they wouldn’t be disturbed, and inwardly, he cheered. normally, he would be eager to get back to work, but the more he rested, the more he was actually starting to appreciate the little break that being ill forced him to have.

when juyeon finally woke up, hours had passed, eric having drifted in and out of sleep the entire time as the dorm was finally silent. juyeon tightened his arm around eric, pulling him closer and humming as he pressed his face into eric’s neck.

“how are you feeling?” juyeon mumbled.

“better than before.” eric turned around in his arms to lay flat on his back, looking up at juyeon. “but i still feel sick, and i have a headache.”

“does this help?” juyeon kissed his forehead, quick and imprecise, and both of them couldn’t help smiling at how cheesy it was.

“a little bit.”

“where else does it hurt?”

eric tapped his cheek, smile turning shy. juyeon didn’t hesitate to lean down and kiss it, a little bit more carefully this time. eric felt heat rise in his cheeks from the tenderness of it.

“anywhere else?”

eric hesitated when he tapped his lips, resisting the urge to bite one of them out of nerves. then, juyeon’s hand was on his cheek, and the coolness of it felt nice on the warmth of his skin. his heart pounded in his ears when juyeon started to lean in, and he closed his eyes just as their lips met. their kiss was short and sweet, but it still made eric’s chest flutter.

“you’ll probably get sick, now,” eric said, unable to think of anything else. his heart was still beating fast, and he couldn’t meet juyeon’s eyes.

“how could i resist when you asked so cutely?” juyeon said, the hand that still rested on eric’s cheek moving to pinch it instead. eric pouted, even though he secretly liked the treatment. 

“i didn’t think you would actually do it.”

“did it help, though?” the kiss hadn’t cured any of eric’s physical symptoms, but it did make his heart feel a lot lighter.

eric hummed, pretending to be deep in thought before saying, “i think i need one more.”

juyeon granted his request and kissed him again, and eric could feel him smile into it. the hand on eric’s cheek returned, and juyeon’s thumb brushed back and forth lightly. juyeon was still gentle, treating eric with care, like he was something fragile.

they kissed for longer this time, but there was no heat in it. eric reveled in the feeling of being able to be so  _ close _ to someone he loved so much, and to be able to feel that love reflected right back at him.

when juyeon finally pulled away, eric couldn’t avoid the tender look in his eyes and smiled when he saw it. juyeon smiled too, kissing his forehead again and brushing away his bangs, still mussed from sleep. eric felt dangerously close to forming a lump in his throat at all of the sweetness, and he buried his face into juyeon’s chest before he could see.

juyeon chuckled lightly from above him, combing his fingers through eric’s hair. they stayed like that for a little while longer before finally deciding to get up.

it only took the rest of that day for eric to be well enough to return to work, and while he was ecstatic that he wasn’t very ill anymore, he secretly bemoaned the fact that he would have to give up spending so much time with juyeon, and being taken care of by him.

however, he didn’t have to miss it for long, because it was only a few days later that juyeon came down with a fever himself. when sangyeon announced the results of the thermometer to the others, eric’s face flushed red right away. nobody had to guess why he was so embarrassed. he could hear a few of them giggling, sunwoo even patting him on the shoulder before saying something teasing to him about it.

sangyeon was smiling too, unable to hide it when he asked if eric would stay and help juyeon while he was sick. he agreed, of course, happy but also mortified that everyone  _ knew _ and was joking about it so openly. he was also worried about juyeon, but when eric saw that he was embarrassed too, possibly even more than he was himself, he couldn’t complain much.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! i just imagine that when sangyeon checked on them, he just saw them sleeping so cutely together and smiled, wanting to let them rest more ^___^
> 
> come talk to me!
> 
> [twitter](http://twitter.com/hwallrics) | [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/hwallrics)


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